Collapsible top for motor-cars.



G. J. BIBNEY. COLLAPSIBLE TOP FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.191].

1,278,837. PatentedSept. 17,1918.

K E-Z/ F/Jt 1 2. 1 Inventor. F1 .5. $206M 1 Q Mb Bil GEORGE J'. BIBNEY, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

CQLLALPSIBLE TOP FOR MOTOR-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 191%.

Application filed June 5, 1917. Serial No. 173,033.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatl, GEORGE JOHN BIRNEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Tops for Motor-Cars, as described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the invention are, to eliminate the objectionable features of the present form of folding tops which are formed of textile fabric and are quickly susceptible to wear and very soon become unsightly.

A further object is to dispense with the use of the unsightly appearing bows for carrying the fabric tops, and to devise a form of top which may be formed of sheet metal of collapsible construction so as to be completely housed within a receptacle in the body of the car when the use of the top is not desired.

A. still further object is to devise a collapsible structure of top which will present a neat appearance and will be thoroughly weatherproof. I

The principal feature of the invention consists .in the novel construction and arrangement of a plurality of sections telescopically arranged and adapted to be telescoped together and to fit within a suitable pocket in the body of the car.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor car showing my improved top in its extended position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational' view of the top shown partly telescoped and illustrating the manner of hinging the upper and back portions together.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional detail of the front section of the top and a portion of the second section showing the method of inter-support and of weathering the joints.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through i the rear portion of the car showing the pocket for holding the collapsed top in a very much exaggerated form.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view throughthe top showing the means of connecting the sections.

On reference to the accompanying drawings it will be seen that the top when raised extends upwardly from the back portion of the body of the car and forwardly and presenting a very neat and etlective appearance very similar to the new types of permanent open sided tops, the bows being disposed with and the top rising directly from the body of the car and extending forwardly to the wind shield.

In order to accomplish this result I form a pocket 1 in the rear of the body of the car which is open at the top. Arranged within this pocket are a plurality of telescopic metal sections, the section 2 being the lower back section which is adapted to be raised and to form practically a continuation of the back of the car body, being held in the raised position by any suitable form of latch or locking device. The upper edge of the section 1 is preferably flanged inwardly in a hook shape 3.

4 is the second back section which is slidably arranged within the section 2 and is adapted to rise above the same and to be locked by any suitable means in the eigtended positions. The main portion of this second section is adapted to slide past the hook edge 3 and the bottom edge of this second section is formed with a reverse flange 5 which is adapted to cooperate with the turned edge 3 and to interlock therewith in a weather tight joint.

A suitable packing may be inserted in either of the joints or both of them to receive the abutting edge of the adjacent portion to make the joint thoroughly weather tight against leakage or against the air.

An extension strip of metal 6 projects backwardly from the flange 5 and fits in outer flanges 10 to engage the inner flanges.

of the adjacent members in looking contact.

The section 11 which forms the rear partof the upper portion of the top is pivotally connected to the pivot pins 9 and flanged corresponding to the other members to form a continuous closed casing when extended. The section 11 is adapted to rest in a horizontal position and extends forwardly and carries the remaining sections 12 which are substantially duplicates thereof being supported the one within the other by grooved channel guides 13 secured to the inner side of the top portions of each section having the longitudinal slots 14- through which the webs of F-shaped supports 15 extend. Each of these sections is provided at its rear end with a forwardly extending flange 16 corresponding with the flange 5 of the section 4 and each member is thus firmly supported laterally so that the whole structure will be perfectly rigid and secure when drawn to its extended position.

The forward member 17 is secured to the top of the wind shield v18 in the usual manner and when it is desired to collapse the top the forward section is disconnected from the shield and slid backwardly into the next section. The next section is moved into the next until the top sections are all telescoped. The rear top section is then swung upward 'on its pivot. The segmental shaped portions 8 fold the one within the other and when thus raised the upper back member 4e is dropped into the lower member and the whole then drops into the pocket formed in the back of the car. A suitable cover may be placed over the receptacle for the top.

The setting of a top such as described is extremely simple, it being only necessary to draw it out of its place, one section at a time until it is fully extended.

- The device is very neat and adds much to the appearance of the car. It can be manufactured at extremely low cost as the parts are all very simple and easily assembled.

A top such as herein described being or" metal and of a very rigid construction lends itself to the adaptation of the conjoint use of collapsible door panes and doors so that the car may be readily converted to being a closed car or an open car at will.

.What I claim as my invention is 1. In a collapsible top for motor cars, the combination with the car body having a pocket in the rear end, of a plurality of sections of rigid sheet material extending arass? across the car body and slidably arranged one within the other and forming the complete top and adapted to .nest into said pocket.

2. A collapsible top for motor cars, comprising a plurality of sections of rigid sheet material slidably arranged one within the other, to form the complete top, each section having flanges adapted in the extendedposition to interlock and form a Weather-tight joint.

3. A collapsible top for motor cars, comprisinoa back section formed of rigid sheet material,- and a top section formed of a plurality of members of rigid sheet material slidably arranged one within the other and pivotally supported from saidback section, and forming the complete top.

4. A collapsible top for motor cars comprising in combination with a pocket formed in the car body, a plurality of members of rigid sheet material slidably arranged one within the other and adapted to be extended upwardly to form the back section, a plurality of members of rigid sheet material slidably arranged one within the other and pivotally connected to the back section and forming the roof section, and a plurality of pivotal sections connecting the rear and top sections and forming the complete top.

5. A collapsible top for motor cars comprising a plurality or" rigid sections or" sheet material extending across the car and formed to fit successively one within the other and each having flanges extending across the ends and interlocking with each other in the extended position, each section also'having a rearward extension slidably engaging the inner wall of the adjacent section to form a rigid support.

6. A collapsible top for motor cars, com prising a plurality of sections of rigid sheet material shaped to extend across the car body. and form the complete top and slid-' ably arranged one within the other, longitudinally grooved guides arranged on the inner sides of each of said sections, and members arranged on each of said sections slidably engaging the grooved guides of the adjacent section.

erosion a. meant. 

